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After urging his parishioners during last weekend's masses to vote in favor of same-sex “marriage” in the referendum to be held in Ireland this spring, a Dublin priest justified his position by declaring, “I'm gay myself.”

Father Martin Dolan, administrator of St Nicholas of Myra church (Francis Street Parish) reportedly received a standing ovation from the congregation when he made the announcement.

Parishioner Liz O’Connor told the Irish Sun, “We are all very proud of Father Martin. Because he has admitted that he is gay he doesn’t change the person that he was before it.”

She added, “I wouldn’t like to see him being moved for the statement he made. That would be horrendous. He should be supported. He has done nothing wrong. If he’s moved, there would be uproar in this parish. He’s still the same man today.”

The Catholic Church in Ireland is publicly opposing same-sex “marriage” in the referendum that will take place at the end of May, calling it “a grave injustice.”

Last month Ireland's bishops issued a pastoral statement titled “The Meaning of Marriage” which advises the faithful that, “to redefine the nature of marriage would be to undermine it as the fundamental building block of our society.” 

“The Church seeks with others to reaffirm … that marriage should be reserved for the unique and complementary relationship between a woman and a man from which the generation and upbringing of children is uniquely possible.”

“It is a grave injustice,” the bishops' letter states, “if the State ignores the uniqueness of the role of husbands and wives, and the importance of mothers and fathers in our society.”

Diocese of Clogher Bishop Liam MacDaid, chairman of the Council for Marriage and the Family, said at the media conference launching the pastoral statement, “This pastoral statement is intended to put before our people, again, the Christian understanding of marriage – a communion of life and love between a man and a woman, in a union for life which is open to new life; and which provides the best and most stable environment for children to grow up and develop.

“To put any other view of unions on the same level as Christian marriage would be disservice to society rather than a service.

“In a same sex union, children would be deprived of what a man and woman can give to children in a stable marriage,” the bishop said.

A request by LifeSiteNews for comment from the Archdiocese of Dublin on Father Dolan's declaration was not returned by press time, but Irish news sources have reported that the Archdiocese is officially declining comment until someone can speak with Dolan personally.

However, it was also reported that immediately after last weekend's Masses Father Dolan left on what was described as a “pre-planned holiday” and is not available for comment.

Contact:

Dublin Archdiocese
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin
Archbishop's House, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01 8373732
Fax: 01 8369796